As my friend and I got close to the speedway, we heard a loud roar and we both looked at each other, thinking, "Is that not the loudest thing you've ever heard...and can you just imagine what it's going to sound like from Row 5?"
We made the long trek toward the speedway and were pleasantly surprised by how fan friendly the set up was. Most drivers had trailers where you could purchase merchandise, and some even posted schedules to let fans know when the driver would be appearing at his trailer to sign autographs. Several mock cars were spread across the campus and fans could have their pictures taken with the cars. My friend and I walked through the maze of NASCAR memorabilia for three hours. Sometimes you'd get a head nod or wave from a fan who was wearing the gear of your favorite driver.
My friend and I caught the final half of the Busch Series qualifying. The closer we got to our seats the louder the cars were. As a car approached you could feel the rumble, and you could smell...well, I don't know what the smell was, but something off the car. After a car passed you, your right eardrum felt like it was going to explode. It didn't take my friend and I long before we protected our ears with earplugs and/or headphones. The cars were so much faster than they look on television. And it made me appreciate the drivers' talent even more. Driving a car 200 miles per hour into four turns without wiping out is an incredible feat.
After Busch qualifying, we watched Happy Hour (which is the final practice for the Nextel Cup series). That was a load of fun. I tuned into Mark Martin's radio transmission and listened as he told his crew chief about the adjustments he needed to make. Mark's car was too tight to stay on the bottom of the track so he had to move to the high groove--not something he likes to do, and you could hear the frustration in his voice. He'd bring the car into the garage for adjustments and then drive it back onto the track, only to find that the adjustments hadn't worked. It was a little disheartening for me to hear since I had high hopes he'd run well there, but being so close to the action was an experience unlike any I've had with any other sport.
Five hours after we arrived, the Busch race started. Here is a photo I took of the cars during their initial pace laps:
By the time my friend and I made it back to our hotel room, I was exhausted. We decided that we weren't going to get to the track so early the next day for the Nextel Cup race and that we weren't going to walk around as much. Then we heard that a thunderstorm would probably hit during the race and the thought of taking on such another day didn't seem like so much fun--especially considering the issues with my leg. We arrived at the track not knowing if we'd attend the race or not. Eventually, we decided to sell our tickets. We did that and made one more pass at the souvenirs before heading home. We watched the race on television and gladly fast forwarded through two rain delays.
All in all, it was a great experience. One that I'm glad I had because it gave me perspective that I wouldn't have had in any other way. But I'll be just as glad to watch the races next week at Talladega on television with my leg propped up in my recliner and the air-conditioning set to the temperature of my liking.
